Summer Home Improvement

Ace Hardware Carlsbad summer home improvement tips.

Check out Ace Hardware Carlsbad’s summer home improvement tips.  It is a great time to get those home repairs done as well as make some home improvements.

Since school is out, it is also a great way to include the kids in fixing up the house and completing those summer home improvement tasks.  Make it a family event and enjoy the beauty of your home once it’s done.  Here are some helpful tips:

• Install a patio or garden decking – Make sure your garden is up to par for those long summer evenings and lazy weekend BBQs. Decking and patios are a great extension of indoor space and can provide a seating and dining area; try shading with an awning and install lighting and outdoor heaters to make the most of the space. If you want outdoor areas for storage and growing fruit or vegetables, now is the perfect time to install that shed or greenhouse.
•  Maintain your garden – General garden maintenance like mowing, weeding and repairing fencing is important too.  Gardens can look untidy very quickly so make sure you tend to them regularly.  Make sure that your lawn is well cared for, grass can suffer in extreme heat so you may need to double check your sprinklers are watering for long enough and fertilize regularly.
• Exterior home improvements – Warm, dry weather means you can carry out all those other exterior home improvements you’ve been putting off such as plastering, painting and cleaning outside walls, windows and doors. Don’t forget to check the condition of your roof and clean your gutters too.
• Build a swimming pool – Pools are great for relaxing in summer, amusing the kids and exercising without having to head to the gym. It’s not too late to install one now – choose from an easy to install above ground pool or an outdoor or inside submerged pool in a range of materials.
• Home remodels and additions – Longer, drier summer days are ideal for large scale home additions and remodels. An addition means lots to organize, so consider hiring an architect, quantity surveyor or project manager to keep everything on track. On the other hand, if you already have an unused loft or basement, why not convert that instead?
• Cooling your home – An air conditioning system can be heaven in the summer months and there’s plenty of options to choose from; standalone models, split air conditioners or centralized systems.  Renewable cooling options can save you money, keep your home cool and protect the environment. Consider installing an air or ground source heat pump which can provide air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter.
• Install solar panels – Solar panels are a good summer investment and can provide heating and hot water all year round:
• Lay a new driveway – If you are looking for a simple way to revamp the exterior of your property, then laying a new driveway could be the answer. There are a variety of driveway materials to choose from; tarmac, gravel or cement are low-cost options, whereas stone or clay paving slabs are a more attractive but expensive driveway material.